Tuesday 5 February 2013

57 Green Street: Flat L.


Despite lysergic dreams of communal living in 1967, the only time all 4 actually co-habited was in the autumn of 1963, at number 57 Green Street in Mayfair, central London. And yes, you guessed it - massive renovation means that this place is almost completely unrecognisable, making the auld then unt nau-ing almost impossible.
However, tragically, I have nothing better to do today, so hier ist der guff; fireplaces may be ripped out and renewed, but the locations don't tend to move about, so it's probably safe to assume that the above correspond.
The famous photos of fan-mail-openage would have been taken at the other end of this room. Note the bit of wall above the right hand red arrow - back in '63 there were 2 rooms here, with the far end forming a small dining room next to the kitchen. That section of wall "hanging" from the ceiling is what remains of the division between the living/dining rooms:



I think the record player would have been in the living room, and the windows seem to correspond:


As does the brick edge visible outside the window. Note too how the '63 ceiling has gone, so to utilise what would have been attic space back then and create a more "roomy" room:


If that's a blind, then these may correspond:


I'm pretty sure these don't, though. The modern one is an en-suite off one of the two bedrooms; I'd guess the '63 shot was taken in the small central toilet designed for communal use (though one at a time, gentlemen please):


Or.................................................................................not.

Kenwood: June 29, 1967.


The Beatles' Book Monthly photo library is being digitised and put on-line, including, o' course, the Leslie Bryce session from Kenwood. As suspected, a few new 'uns have been lurking unused in the files. Above - another sunroom seamstress shot, below - Lennon Jnr on the steps down to the pool:


This is maybe the most "interesting", however; the shelving in the living room, giving a glimpse of the platters that mattered at Kennie in the summer o' '67:


The first Buffalo Springfield album, clearly, plus that copy of Electronic Music again, somewhat less clearly, and then the rest is lo-res sludge:


...though I bet someone recognises them. Comment away if so. (I think there might be a Pepper in there. Or not.)

More new shots may follow.

Sunday 3 February 2013

The Beatles: All These Years, Vol 1.


Exciting! For once! The Special Edition of Mark Lewisohn's Beatles' history can now be pre-ordered! (He's the one on the right, above.)(I think.)

I don't need to to tell you, do I not, that this tome has been 8 years in the making, that this tome promises to be the ultimate why? what? where? when? how? whathefuck? tome; that though this tome will certainly spawn a thousand trails leading to other tomes, there will never be another tome like this tome. 3 volumes (or tomes), overall, and, finally, here is the first.

According to Amazon, Volume 1 will have, initially, two editions: a standard hardback first, priced at 30 pounds, and the Special Edition, priced at 120.

Now, 120 quid in these disgusted times is a lot o' dough, no question, but you are getting the whole schnizzle for that - the unexpurgated poop, the undefiled shiznit... 1856 pages, apparently, and, in short, the fruit of 8 years' research and writing, and half a century's knowledge.

Plus it's a limited edition and I guarantee you there won't be a more sure-fire investment this year.

So, if you can possibly afford it, here it is: ALL THESE YEARS - SPECIAL EDITION VOLUME 1

The above leads to the UK Amazon site. The US one doesn't have it up yet. As it were.

But all actually quite exciting, no?

UPDATE: Official site link now added under Friends unt Neighbours!